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Senior centre Conrad Smith is still holding a rich stream of form in the outside backs late in the season.

He had not done much work on the opposition in this test though they had been schooled up on Wales' style.

"We have spent a lot of the time looking at ourselves," Smith said.

"We have prepared for a Welsh side which will play really well and we have done a lot of work on ourselves from our previous performances."

Ma'a Nonu debuted for the All Blacks in 2003 and Smith a year later although they did not begin a test together until 2008. Since then they have started as a partnership in 40 tests for 35 wins.

Much of that work was instinctive and that was where that experience kicks in. It helped in pressure games and the trick against Wales was not to get sucked into questioning whether this would be the year the Dragons finally beat the visitors.

"We try and take that out of it and look at ourselves and how we want to play and every week is an opportunity to add to the legacy that we talk about of the All Blacks," Smith said.

If everyone thought that same way then there were no negative connotations about the weight of rugby history.